Costa Blanca

Kirsty Maxwell Benidorm balcony death to be probed in new series

A new series expects the five men who last saw Kirsty Maxwell alive to provide answers in a podcast that investigates her mysterious death in Spain.

After a night out on a hen do in 2017, Kirsty, a newlywed, plummeted to her death from a balcony at a hotel in Benidorm.

Before her death, Kirsty, 27, of Livingston, inadvertently entered a 10th-floor flat that was occupied by five British men: Joseph Graham, Ricky Gammon, Anthony Holehouse, Callum Northridge and Daniel Bailey.

In July 2020, they were cleared of being homicide suspects after judges determined that there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and no indication that she had not fallen to her death.

Nevertheless, Kirsty’s mother and father, who are devastated, are adamant that she did not leap of her own volition. The case and an appeal for information are the focus of the six-part podcast, “What happened to Kirsty Maxwell.”

True Crime podcaster Naomi Channell, who narrates and produces the series, says, “I do not believe it was a tragic accident.” All the evidence suggests that she was fleeing from something.

“There are still numerous unanswered questions.”

“It is my sincere hope that this will exert pressure on the authorities and on those who were present in the flat but have never been adequately investigated.”

Naomi met Kirsty’s family at a UK Crimecon convention in 2023, where she was present with Sue Horan, the wife of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away under suspicious circumstances at the residence of television personality Michael Barrymore in 2001.

In her podcast, she recounts how upon Kirsty’s arrival at the apartments with her friends, “a shirtless man” approached them at the elevators and enquired, “Who wants to get f*** tonight?”

Kirsty returned to the apartments early in the morning after a night out, during which she consumed alcohol but did not have any narcotics in her system.

It is unclear why she awoke, proceeded to the 10th floor, and knocked on the door of room 10E. The room was shared by five men, including the shirtless man, who were all from the Nottingham area.

One of them informed the authorities. Before jumping over the Juliette balcony to her demise, Kirsty attempted to climb through a small window in the bathroom and then ran through the apartment window.

Naomi stated, “Kirsty died instantly after falling at 7.51 a.m.” One of the men reported to the police that he had observed her fall. This individual was the sleeveless man, and his name is Joseph Graham.

Adam, Kirsty’s spouse, received a call from the Spanish police informing him that she had passed away. He was compelled to inform her mother, Denise, of the tragic news. The couple had married only eight months prior.

Brian Curry, her father, expressed his disbelief, stating, “Even to this day, it is extremely difficult to accept.”

The podcast delves into the process by which Kirsty’s family travelled to Benidorm to initiate their own investigation three months after her death, as they encountered a “wall of silence” from the police.

Naomi, a podcaster from Essex, stated, “No parent should ever be required to investigate the death of their own child.”

“Brian requested 12 hours of footage that encompassed the period prior to and following Kirsty’s death; however, the police provided him with only seven minutes of edited footage.

Kirsty’s fall is not depicted in a traumatic three-second footage captured by a camera at the poolside, which captures her impact with the ground. Brian is of the opinion that the footage was edited by an individual.

“According to investigators, the remaining CCTV footage has disappeared.” The police were compelled to acknowledge that they had disposed of the garments the day following Kirsty’s death. Her attire would have served as indispensable evidence.

“They claimed that the reason was that the clothing was stained with blood.” They acknowledged that the only method of examination was visual.

David Swindle, the retired Strathclyde detective who established Victims Abroad, was astounded by the deficiencies of the investigation.

He stated that the Spanish Police failed to conduct thorough investigations into the evidence, including independent witnesses, and did not advance forensics or CCTV footage.

“These men were not separated and were not interviewed properly.” DNA issues were encountered, samples were not collected, and Kirsty’s clothing was incinerated.

“Throughout my tenure as an investigator, I was unable to comprehend it.” “If we had all of that, we would be better equipped to understand what transpired with Kirsty.”

The podcast, which will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon on April 29, commemorates the eight-year anniversary of Kirsty’s passing.

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Related Topics:Alcohol Benidorm Crime Friends Police Spain

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Costa Blanca

Torrevieja May Fair 2025 will be located in Antonio Soria Park and will have 15 booths

The Torrevieja May Fair 2025 is scheduled to take place from May 15th to 18th at the Antonio Soria Park grounds. The event will feature 15 booths, a large stage, and stalls that can accommodate 600 people. Additionally, there will be children’s shows, dance academy exhibitions, a large rociero parade, and the eagerly anticipated rociero mass on Sunday, which will conclude the fair.

This renowned event, which showcases Andalusian folklore, music, and gastronomy, has been designated a Provincial Tourist Interest and is now firmly established as one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the local festival calendar. Residents and visitors to Torrevieja can participate in a comprehensive program of musical performances, family-friendly activities, equestrian displays, and a fairground atmosphere in the booths that have been erected throughout the grounds for a period of four days.

FAIR PROGRAMMING 2025

Thursday 15th
21:00 Opening ceremony of the May Fair 2025, with a performance of the Torrevieja national anthem by the UMT band. Fireworks will follow. –
21:30 Performance by the QK Dance Academy .
22:30 Performance by the Virgen del Rocío Brotherhood Choir.

Friday 16th
21:00 Performance by the Arantxa Dance Academy
22:00 Performance by the Torrevieja Municipal Dance School
23:00 Performance by Aire de Lo Ferro

Saturday 17th
Noon Celebration of the traditional Misa Rociera (Rociera Mass) in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, sung by the choir of the Virgen del Rocío Brotherhood. Afterward, a parade of horsemen and carriages will take place to the fairgrounds in Antonio Soria Park.
Itinerary: Depart from the Church of the Immaculate Conception and walk up Bazán Street, Delfina Viudes Street until reaching the fairgrounds in Antonio Soria Park.
Once there, the traditional horse parade will begin.
21:00 Performance by the Soul Dance Studio Dance Academy
22:00 Performance by the Paya’s Dance School.
23:00 Performance by the group Siempre Así.

Sunday 18th
12:30 – 17:00 Horse-drawn carriage ride around the fairgrounds
20:30 Performance by the Mery Dance Academy
21:30 Performance by the Brisa del Sur Choir
22:00 Salve and closing ceremony of the 2025 Sevillanas fair sung by the choirs Brisa del Sur, Alba Rociera, and the Virgen del Rocío Brotherhood.

Full programme and schedule at: www.torrevieja.es

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Costa Blanca

Drunk driver caught in Santa Pola with a new license and no lights at night

At the weekend, the Santa Pola Local Police apprehended a driver who had recently obtained a licence and was in violation of numerous regulations.

In this coastal town in Alicante, the police stopped him for exceeding the alcohol limit and using the cycle lane, despite his limited driving experience of only two months.

According to the police force, the incident occurred at night and without headlights, which exacerbated the situation.

The traffic safety regulations have been implemented for all of the aforementioned reasons, as the Local Police have stated on their social media accounts that the risk posed by the absence of lights is not limited to the car.

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Costa Blanca

16 years for sexual assault of his ex-partner in Benidorm

Yesterday, Monday May 5th, a man who is accused of repeatedly violating the restraining order that barred him from approaching his ex-partner in Benidorm and for sexual assault, appeared in court at the Alicante Provincial Court. The request for 16 years in prison for sexual assault and violation of a precautionary measure has been upheld by the Prosecutor’s Office. The man’s pretrial detention is not caused by the request for 16 years in prison; instead, it is a result of his repeated violations of the restraining order.

Despite being aware that he was subject to a restraining order against his ex-partner, the defendant arrived at her residence in the resort city on July 2nd, 2023, with the intention of proposing sexual intercourse. The defendant sexually assaulted the victim after she refused, as stated in the indictment. On July 19th, 2023, he returned to the residence and repeatedly rang the doorbell.

The defendant defended his right to respond exclusively to the queries posed by his defence. The investigation didn’t even take into account whether or not there was consenting sexual activity. However, he denied any wrongdoing and solely maintained that his ex-partner desired to get revenge when filing the complaint.

The victim’s testimony was the primary piece of evidence at trial, and she reaffirmed it in her complaint in every detail. She claimed that the man arrived at her residence despite being aware that he was unable to approach her and proceeded to sexually violate her upon his arrival. It transpired that there had been prior violations of the restraining order. In fact, he returned to the residence a few days later and began to ring the doorbell. The Prosecutor’s Office maintained the sentences it requested at the conclusion of the trial, thereby supporting all of these points.

The reason for the preventive detention in this case was not the sexual assault itself, which is still pending sentencing, but rather the repeated violations of the restraining order issued by the Court for Violence against Women. The measure is intended to prevent the victim from encountering additional risk situations, as the accused, despite having been judicially warned, returned to his ex-partner’s residence on numerous occasions, disregarding the explicit prohibition of approaching. The judge interpreted this persistent behaviour as a clear indication of a high risk of repeat offences and that the accused does not respect the judicial measures. Consequently, they justified his imprisonment as a means of ensuring the safety of the complainant and the seamless operation of the process.